The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas · Page 1

BLYTHEVILLE COURIER NEWS THE DOMINANT NEWSPAPER OF NORTHEAST ARKANSAS AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI VOL. L—NO. 37 Blytheville Courier Blvtheville Daily News Mississippi Valley Leader Blytheville Herald ' BLYTHEVILLE, ARKANSAS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1954 FOURTEEN PAGES Published Daily Except Sunday SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS Boy Killed, 3 Hurt in Crash Here Jerry Tinnin Dies in Wreck Near Overpass A Blytheville youth was killed and three people were hospitalized as a result of a two-car collision on Highway 61 north of Blytheville near the railroad overpass last night about 7:30, Jerry Tinnin, 15. son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Tinnin of Blytheville, was killed instantly." Taken to the Chickasawba Hospital were Rodney Adkisson, 15, of Blytheville, W. E. Rhoades and his daughter, Miss Gwendolyn Rhoades, 19, of Blytheville, Route 1, Their conditions were reported as satisfactory this morning by hospital officials. The accident occured, according to Gene Mabrey, state policeman, when a wheel of Rodney Adkisson's car, traveling north, dropped off the edge of the pavement. The car then swerved back across the road and hit the car driven by John W. Chalk, 26, of Kennett, Mo., almost head-on. Jerry Tinnin was riding with Rodney while the Rhoades were passengers in the Chalk car. The Rhoades family was on their way to Blytheville to attend church. Mr. Chalk was not hospitalized. Several truck drivers stopped and helped direct traffic and set out flares until officers arrived, Coroner E. M. Holt, said. Services for Jerry Tinnin will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2:30 at the Methodist Church at Hornersville, Mo., by the Rev. Sam Pullium. Burial will be in Horner Cemetery with Holt Funeral Home in charge. Jerry had lived in BlytheviUe with his family for the past four years. His father is engaged in farming. He was a member of the junior high football team. He is survived by his parents; two sisters. Betty Jo and Parma Jeanette Tinnin, both of Blytheville; a grandmother, Mrs. Ruth Porter of Hornersville. Pallbearers will be Larry and Mickey Fitzgerald, Allen Thomas, David Holt, Alvin (Bo) Huffman, m, Tommy Slayton, Charles Coalter and John Lutes. All are classmates of Jerry's. Industry Drive Deadline Set Bid Opening Date Only One Week Away Chamber of Commerce's Finance Committee today found itself with but one week in which to gain its $150,000 goal to erect a building for Central States Metal Co. As of today, the dri-ve was still standing at just slightly above $126,000. One week from today, the Chamber is to open bids on the building at 10 a. m. However, it must be .assured-of having the necessary finances before contracts may be let. Yesterday the committee met and plotted cleanup phases of the campaign. Calls will be made on persons who have not invested and others -will be asked to reconsider their investments. Also up for discussion in yesterday's session was publication of the list of investors. Action on this issue is to be taken sometime this week. Mechanical plans and specifications on the building may now be obtained in the Chamber offices, Chamber Manager Worth Holder said today. Army Counsel Calls McCarthy's Letter from FBI 'Perfect Phoney WASHINGTON (AP) — Army counsel derided as "a perfect phony" today the letter Sen. McCarthy injected into hearings on his row with Army officials and identified by McCarthy as a communication from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to the Army on Jan. 26, 1951. McCarthy scrapped back that the substance was essentially the same as warnings the FBIU'S.OWI McCarthy scrapped back that the substance was essentially the same as warnings the FBI had sent the Army about security risks and radar secrets. This was not disputed by Robert A. Collier, a member of special counsel for the Senate Investigations subcommittee. Collier was given the job of checking up on the document after McCarthy produced it late yesterday. The committee attorney went to the witness chair to give his report. He testified he had taken the document to Hoover and that the FBI director had told him: "This letter produced is not a carbon copy or copy of any communication prepared or sent by the FBI to Gen. Boiling Jan. 26, 1951 or any other date." McCarthy and Roy M. Cohn, McCarthy's counsel, had described the three-page document yesterday as a copy of a letter from Hoover to Maj. Gen. A.R. Boiling, dated Jan. 26, 1951, when Boiling was intelligence chief for the Army. "Memo in Files Collier testified that Hoover told CONFERENCE — Sen. Everett M. Dirksen (left) R-I11), a member of the Senate Investigations Subcommittee which is investigating differences between Sen. Joseph McCarthy and Army officials, and Ray Jenkins, special counsel for the committee, confer during a recess in the hearings in Washington, D. C. (AP Wirephoto) him there is in the FBI files a 15- page interdepartmental memorandum, written in a different form and with no signature at all. McCarthy put in that the document he and Cohn sought to introduce contained verbatim quotes from the 15-page memo. He said the document itself included the notation that certain security information had been omitted. Joseph N. Welch, Army counsel, moved in with obvious enthusiasm to question Collier. It was in his queries that he termed the Mc- See MCCARTHY on Page 9 Ike Says U.S. Has Lost Global Prestige in McCarthy Dispute WASHINGTON (AP) — President Eisenhower said today the United States has suffered a loss of international prestige as a result of the row between Senator McCarthy and the Army His assertion was made at a news conference at which Eisenhower also issued a formal statement declaring his unqualified support for Secretary of State Dulles and for Dulles' efforts to form a united front against communism in Southeast Asia. Colonel Checks Hospitals Here A "Colonel Lafford" was in Blytheville yesterday surveying the city's hospital facilities in behalf of'the Air Force. County Hospital Administrator John Cherry, with whom the colonel talked, said the officer was evidently interested in 'determining if hos'pitals of this area are ade- qUate to handle dependents of base personnel. Inside Today's Courier Hews . . Industry Fund Drive Needs Final Heave . . . That Traffic Signal Is in the News Again . . . Charitable Organizations Wast* Much on Publicity . . . Editorials . . . Page 8 ... . Incumbents Take Lead as 'Five States Hold Primaries . . . Pare 3 ... . Osceola News and Feature . . . Page 5 ... Snow Interrupts Tiit between Bucs and Braves . . . Recapitulation of Track Meet F,i- turw Shows Blytheville Team took First Three Places in District Three Track Meet . . . Sports News . . . P»** s 10 * nd "parole of Some Arkansas Comrtctt Has Proved Disastrous . . , Page «... On these two main subjects, the President told newsmen: McCarthy-Army: He knows of nothing which would cause him to lose confidence in Secretary of the Army Stevens so far as administration of the Army Department's business is concerned. On that basis, Eisenhower said emphatically, he backs Stevens to the limit. A reporter reminded Eisenhower that he had expressed the hope at his news conference last week that th senate inquiry would be ended quickly. The newsman added that only- yesterday the Army counsel at the hearing objected to a Republican proposal to cut the hearings short. The President was asked, whether in his opinion, there was any administration conflict there and if he still favored a quick conclusion of the investigation. Eisenhower said it was true that he had talked last week about concluding the hearings. And, he added with a smile more attention had been given at the time to his man- I ner in making the statement than j to what he said. j This time, the President said, he j was going to be careful about how | he looked in discussing the McCarthy-Army inquiry. Wants Effective Answers The President then went on to say that in expressing the hope the hearing would be quickly concluding he meant there should be effective answers on the main issues of the dispute, and participation by the principals. Eisenhower then said he wanted to say one more thing on the matter, and suggested he might bar further questions on the subject. Speaking solemnly and with great emphasis, the President said his only hope now is that America may derive from the hearings advantages which, as he put it, may be comparable to what we have suffered in international ,.prestige and injury to national self respect. Eisenhower then was asked whether he has full confidence in Stevens. The President replied, speaking in measured tones, that Stevens was carefully selected for his job and he knows of nothing which would cause him to lose confidence in Stevens from the standpoint of administering the affairs of the Army. "Sense of Urgency" Indochina-Dulles: :The President said in his formal statement that the United States and most of the free nations with a direct interest in the security of Southeast Asia, are working on the problem of a united front, with "a general sense of urgency." "The countries of the area," the President said, "are now thinking in constructive terms, which include the indispensable concept of collective security. Progress in this matter has been considerable and I am convinced that further progress will be continued to be made." Asked whether he thought the Geneva Conference on Asian peace Demos Rally Forces • For November Fight WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democrats, back in Washington in force, open today a National Democratic conference totally forces and repair finances for their effort to capture Congress in November. at a Jefferson-Jackson dinner tomorrow night, after two days of airing Democratic policies and current Republican embarrassments. Gibes concerning "The Mess in Washington"—A GOP battle cry New Justice Department Division Seen problems had been a major diplomatic defeat for American policy, Eisenhower replied crisply that no one can count a battle lost, while see MCCARTHY ROW on PM« » NEW YORKi/Pj—The New York Times said today that Atty. Gen. Brownell will announce soon the establishment of a Division of Internal Security in the Department of Justice. The new unit, the Times said, "will- handle cases involving espionage, treason, sabotage, federal employe loyalty or security risks and subversive activities—in fact, all court proceedings dealing with matters affecting the internal security of the United States and its possessions. . . ." It was understood that the new division would supplement the work of the FBI. Internal security investigations now constitute a substantial part of the workload of the FBI, which will continue to operate as in the past. Prosecution of cases developed by the FBI, however, would be a function of the new division, it was understood. Presumably its aim would include tightening the enforcement of internal security laws and expediting such cases through the courts. The party faithful will prove in 1952—were standard among the their loyalty by paying $100 a plate members of the national committee, state leaders and Democratic mayors and governors. The phrase was applied to the Army-McCarthy hearings, the businessslump and to criticism of U.S. policy on Indo-.. china. Delegates did not soft-pedal their belief that GOP problems and internal conflicts would better the chances for a Democratic victory in the off-year elections. They already have a slight margin in the Senate and almost equal GOP strength in the House. A national committee spokesman said the Democrats believe a House majority is "practically certain," and consider their Senate chances "excellent." Uncertainty to Help Public uncertainty over employment, business activity and farm income will strengthen Democratic candidacies, the spokesman held. These and other issues were due for panel discussion at sessions today and tomorrow. A Republican counter-attack was ready. Rep. Richard M. Simpson (Pa), chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, derided the Democrats' gathering as "crying towel convention." The Democrats would moan about "recession,"' Simpson said, but "probably won't even mention the-1950 situation under President Truman when 4,700,000 persons went jobless." Former President Truman was assigned a minor role in the Democratic rally. He will speak briefly at the big dinner. Adlai E. Stevenson, the party's 1952 standard bearer, cancelled plans to attend the dinner on advice of his doctor. He is recuperating from a kidney stone operation. Burglars Take $50 at Armorel Burglars took about $50 from the Armorel Planting Co. store, warehouse and service station early this morning, according to Sheriff William Berryman. The main damage was to the electric cash registers which were broken open in the service station and the warehouse, company employees said this morning. The cash register in the store was not damaged. Nothing else in the three buildings was bothered. A call came into the county .iail office about 3:40 a. m. the sheriff said, from a man at Forty and Eight, where some prowlers were noticed .trying to enter a store. They drove off in a car without entering the store, he said. It is possible that there was some connection between the two incidents, he pointed out. Reds Eye Indochina Coalition; New Artillery Duel Is Fought French Brace For Another Viefminh Blow HANOI, Indochina (7Pi—Viet- minh troops feverishly duR tunnels and trenches in a pouring rain today toward the shrunken barricades of Dien Bien P«hu, already within grenade hurling range. Only 40 yards separated the rebels from French Union riflemen standing to arms in the expectation of a new assault. HANOI, Indochina (AP) — French and Vietminh artillery fought more thundering duels today as the weary French Union forces braced for another Communist-led assault on Laniel Confidence Vote Hinges on Indochina PARIS (AP) — Padianientry observers expect Premier Joseph Laniel's government to win a National Assembly vote of confidence tomorrow unless the besieged Indochina fortress of Dien Bien Phu falls to the Vietminh rebels in the meantime. Laniel told the Assembly lost night it would have to look for a new government or postpone demands for a debate on Indochina beginning May 14, When deputies, including some of his own supporters. persisted in their call for the debate, the Premier made the issue one of confidence in the Cabinet. This would require the government's resignation if the Assem- does not uphold its demand bly for Dien Bien Phu's diminishing cussion. a postponement of the dis- defenses. The French high command said "relative calm" prevailed last night at the northwest Indochina fortress after yesterday's savage struggle, which resulted in the fall and brought the rebels still closer to the bastion's vital core. The French tried desperately to retake the position west of the garrison, but their commander. Brig. Gen. Christian de Castries, finally called off the counterassault when it became evident he could not push back the attackers outnumbering his men 10-1. A French spokesman expressed belief the rebels would launch their next big push sometime today. Since Saturday, the Vietminh have taken four strongpoints in the shriveling defenses and part of a fifth. In human waves they surged against the barbed wire barricades in a furious attempt to break through to .the bastion's heart. t Rebel volunteers of death blasted the barricades with nitroglycerine, then hurled themselves on the French guns with shouts of "Long live Ho Chi Minh" and "Death to the French." The French, supported by blazing tank guns, countercharged with bayonets but were too greatly outnumbered. Dien Bien Phu is now split into Laniel's chances of survival looked good today. Few of the deputies wanted to risk a government crisis at a time when the fate of Dien Bien Phu was in the balance, and when the Geneva talks on peace in Indochina were about to start. But if Dien Bien Phu should fall to the Communist-led rebels before the vote, most observers felt sure the Cabinet would collapse too. That would pull the rug out from under France's delegation at Geneva. The Assembly came back yesterday from its Easter vacation anxious to show its indignation at the deterioration of the military situation in Indochina. Many deputies wanted to find a scapegoat in the Cabinet. Another section of Parliament wanted to put more pressure on the government to hurry the negotiations at Geneva and end the Indochina fighting at almost any cost. City Parking Lot Proposal Studied The Blytheville City Planning Commission discussed during a meeting last night at City Hall a proposal for making the city lot on the corner of Walnut and Franklin into a city parking lot. Dickenson Gets Term Of 10 Years WASHINGTON (AP) — Cpl. Edward S. Dickenson faced 10 years in prison today after his commanded directly by De Castries and the southern outpost ••Isabelle," whose artillery has been a major protection for the central bastion. The rebels succeeded in seizing several emplacements fringing attack reduce Isabelle in their weekend but have not been able to its damaging fire power. Latest reports from the main bastion said the garrison's morale still is high despite the incessant pounding they have been taking. The French news agency said the Legion of Honor has been awarded to the only woman at Dien Bien Phu — Genevieve de Galard. The nurse got the news in a. telephone call from Gen. Rene Cogny, chief of union land forces in northern Indochina. Miss de Galard was stranded in the fortress when Vietminh artillery destroyed the hospital plane that" had brought her in. De Castries conferred the decoration on her in a ceremony in his command dugout but the presentation was only symbolic. No Legion cross could be found in fortress. the BlytheYille Resident Gets Citizenship Papers '•I b3came a United States citizen | ^ie^d!y"mVde"farse germ'warfare conviction of with-the-enemy collaborating- charges in a case that may set a precedent for Army handling of other Americans under suspicion for their conduct while war prisoners in Korea. An eight-man Army court-martial yesterday returned a guilty verdict on charges that Dickenson, a 23-year-old farm boy from Cracker's Neck. Va.. dealt unlawfully with his Red Chinese captors and informed the Reds about the escape plans of a buddy, former Pfc. Edward M. Gaither of Philadelphia. The court reached its decision after more than 10 hours of deliberation, then retired and nearly an hour later brought in a sentence of 10 years in prison at hard labor and a dishonorable discharge. Dickenson could have drawn life imprisonment. The court's verdict, and sentence are headed for study by an Army board of review. Dickenson's lawyer. Guy Emery, said he would appeal, if that board does not reverse the court-martial action. A few hours after the Dickenson court-martial had returned - its findings, the Air Force announced it would not lodge court-martial charges against 83 of its men who yesterday," a voice over the telephone told a Courier News reporter this morning. It was Mrs. Lesley Hardin, 305 Ruddle Road, who originally carne from Knottingley, Yorkshire, England. She was granted citizenship yesterday when she appeared in federal court in Jonesboro. She has been a resident of Blytheville for the past eight years and was just so happy about becoming a citizen that "I wanted everyone to know it." Letter Carriers to Hold State Convention In City This Week Blytheville Letter Carriers, Branch 1922 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, will be host to the 20th annual state convention to be held here Friday and Saturday, Bill Hrabovsky, publicity director, said today. Registration begins at 1 p. m. Friday at Convention headcjuart- ers in the American Legion Hut. Approximately 100 delegates from various branches of Arkansas Letter Carriers are expected to be present. Also in attendance will be Peter J. Cahill and John Schmidt, representatives from National Headquarters in Washington, D. C., Mrs. Emma Meyer of Rock- ford, m., national auxiliary president, Sam Harper of North Little Rock, state president, E. W. Godwin of Hot Springs, slate secretary, and Mrs. Josie Anderson of Prescott, state auxiliary president. Speakers at a banquet to be held Friday night will be Mayor E. R. Jackson, Worth Holder, manager of the Blytheville Chamber of Commerce, and Ross Stevens, Blytheville postmaster. General meeting of the convention will be held on Saturday. Paul Burks is president of the Blytheville branch and Mrs. Ira Lambert, Jr., is president of the auxiliary. confessions or were suspected of misconduct while in Red prison camps. 69 Cleared The Air Force cleared 69 officers and airmen of all taint, but it held that 14 others must show cause why they should be allowed to remain in uniform. Dickenson remained silent, his eyes cast down, when the court- martial verdict was returned. But Emery called the decision "a travesty." He said the young soldier had faced a "stacked deck." Dickenson's trial was the first ever held under a section of the Military Code of Justice which makes it a crime for a U. S. serviceman to give an enemy information for use against a prison comrade. The Army reportedly has been investigating other former American prisoners of the Reds, men dubbed "Progressives" by other POWs, for allegedly cooperating with their Red captors. The Dickenson case was regarded as a test, which might determine the Army's course of action in like cases. A special board of five Air Force generals studied the 83 cases for nearly three months. None Named The board found that "duress or other extenuating circumstances" were present in all cases to such a degree as to absolve them from disciplinary action. But it said the See row OB Fate t The plan which would accomo- date about 150 cars and public toilet facilities. The lot would be surfaced with either concrete or asphalt. Now used as a playground, the lot is close to the business district and not suitable for a playground, it was pointed out. No action was taken on the pnv posal and it was decided to give it more study and canvass public opinion on the matter. The only action taken by the commission last night was voting to request the City Council to furnish the planning Committee with "a map of the actual conditions of the city as they exist at this time." This map would serve as a starting point for the commission to study and work from. t A letter from D. S. Bonner of the University of Arkansas was read to the co'mmission in which the services of the university in aiding the planning commission to make a detailed study were outlined. The approximate cost of this service is $7,200. A motion was made to temporarily table this matter until a later date in that it is not applicable to the newly-formed commission at this time. Wendel Phillips showed the commission material that he obtained from the planning commission in Kansas City, Mo., and discussed working of that commission. The committee adjourned without scheduling another meeting. Allied Sources Indicate Shift From Partition GENEVA (AP) — Western sources said today they have received information indicating the Communists may favoi the creation of coalition rule in Indochina rather than partition. No high-level conversations between East and West have been held on the form of an eventual Indochinese settlement, they said, but an impression of the Red position was obtained through other contacts. This estimate of the Communist plans came in a two-day recess of the plenary meetings of the Korean conference. Western diplomats were reported ready to break off the Korean phase of the conference once they are sure the Communists will not modify their opposition to unifying elections supervised by the United Nations. A reCfcss until Friday gives the delegates a chance to hold private consultations and clarify their positions. The Indochina phase has been made urgent by the worsening plight of the French Union forces nt besieged Dien Bien Phu. A Western informnnt said the Communist line on Indochina at Hull Arrives For Malaya Talks SINGAPORE (/P)—Gen. John E. Hull, American commander in chief in the Far East, arrived in Singapore today for talks with top British ^ invited"to"d'inneTby Eden. to be: : "Why can't there be a Korea?' 'This indicated the Communists wanted to partition Indochina—at least ' Viet Nam and perhaps its sister states, Cambodia and Laos. Now, the informant said, they seem to favor a political rather than a territorial settlement. Ike Disturbed Meanwhile, it was learned on good authority that President Eisenhower sent a letter to Secretary of State Dulles here last weekend paying he was disturbed over European press interpretation of one of his news conference statements last Thursday. The President expressed hope at that time that some kind of "modus vivendi" for Indochina could be worked out at Geneva. The interpretation of many European papers was that he had failed to support Dulles' policy of toughness and had weakened the French position. The President was understood to have stated that this "was not the case at all. Copies of his letter were given to French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault and British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. Bidault was keeping in close touch with the political crisis in Paris that stems from parliamentary unrest over the Indochina situation. Don't Want Intermediary French sources also disclosed that the Russians apparently do not want to serve as an intermediary in preliminary negotiations between the French and the representatives of the Communist- led Vietminh. This was seen as an effort to force direct contact, which the French wish to avoid. The only East-West contact planned for the day apparently was a meeting between Eden and Soviet Foreign Minister V. M. MolO- tov. Molotov and his top aides military officials in Malaya. | He told newsmen Indochina would j figure in his talks. Of the Indochina situation, he said: "I'm not a pessimist. I believe there will be a solution." A French defeat at beseiged Dien j CARU xKERSVILLE, M o . Bien Phu, he said, would have more j gn r i n g- term of Circuit Court Pemiscot Circuit Court Convenes op- A spokesman in Tokyo said Hull had no plans to visit Indochina. of a physological effect than a mili- ened here yesterday with Judge tary one. Joseph -H. Allen presiding over the review of cases to come before the court. . On the criminal docket is the case of Tommy Pate, 33, charged with first degree murder in connection with the shooting of Elmer Ricjgs of Hayti, Route 2, at a service station in Hayti, Aug. 11, 1953. Mr. Riggs was having a flat fixed at the service station when the incident occured. The trial ,is set for May 14. Final Ginning Report Made WASHINGTON (P) —The Census Bureau said today final reports of cotton were ginned from the show that 16,317,126 running bales 1953 crop. This number compares with 14,954,575 ginned from the 1952 crop. New 'Quake Rocks Greece; None Hurt . ATHENS.Greece (/P)—New earthquakes today rocked Greece's central province of Thessaly, still groggy from shocks last Friday which killed 24 persons and caused damage estimated at 10 million dollars. Press reports said the latest tremors destroyed the village of jSourli, near Sofadhes, which bore the brunt of last week's quake. Damage also was reported in Sofadhes, Karditsa and Trikala, the reports said. There was nc mention of any casualties. Weather ARKANSAS — Fair and a little warmer this afternoon and tonight; Thursday partly cloudy and warmer. MISSOURI — Generally fair this afternoon, tonight and Thursday: rising temperatures; low tonight 40s east to near 50 extreme west; high Thursday in the 70s. Maximum yesterday—59. Minimum this morning—46. Sunset today—«:47. Sunrise tomorrow—5:08. Mean temperature (midway bttwtett high and low—52.5. Precipitation last 24 boun t» 7:00 a.m. today—non«. t ' Precipitation Jan. 1 to dfcU—M.ll. Maximum yesterday—€«. Minimum thu morning—M. Precipitation January 1 It I3.M.